Councilman Taylor and Son Attend White House Holiday Reception
13-Year-Old Son Shares Event Through His Eyes
By Kathy Feist
Photos and photo narrative by Drake Taylor
“Amazing!”
That’s how 13-year-old Drake Taylor described his visit to a White House holiday reception with his dad Kansas City City Councilman Scott Taylor on December 7.
It was Scott Taylor’s second time the President and First Lady invited him to attend a holiday reception there. In 2012, he took his wife, former council member Cathy Jolly. This year he chose his son. “It was excellent,” the councilman said. “It was great to be able to take my son.”
The two were dazzled by a 150-lb. White House gingerbread house, the decorated Christmas tree and the dessert table. “Drake’s eyes just lit up,” says Taylor. “Every possible dessert item was there.”
Drake says he got very close to the Obamas. “ Their speeches were nice and funny,” he recalls.
White House Press Secretary and former South Kansas Citian Josh Earnest invited both to attend a daily press briefing with the national press in the West Wing. The briefing lasted an hour and 15 minutes. Taylor said he was impressed with the breadth of knowledge that the press secretary had to know to answer questions.
Taylor was also surprised to learn that Earnest grew up near 108th Street in the Red Bridge area.
The Taylors took a tour of the White House. “It was nice to see everything and know it has been there for generations,” said Drake, who pointed out that his dad gave him most of the tour information.
When Drake returned to school he was able to show 262 photos taken with his cell phone to all his friends. “They were like, ‘What?! The President? Really?!’” he recalls.
Drake, who has no plans to go into politics, was nonetheless impressed with the trip. “I knew that it would be amazing,” he says. “But I didn’t know it would be as amazing as it was.”
